(NEW YORK) – Airline passengers want more Internet access inflight and named connectivity as the top area for improvement to the inflight experience, according to the first of a new series of global surveys of passengers being conducted by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

The first APEX Global Passenger Experience Survey – which collected feedback from more than 1,500 flyers from eight countries – showed a strong desire worldwide for a passenger experience that is customizable, from selection of inflight reading materials to availability of food and drink. Expectations for improved inflight entertainment and connectivity were focal points for improvement, with 36 percent of respondents strongly wanting connectivity improvements and 28 percent wanting expanded inflight entertainment options.

“The industry has greatly improved the comfort, ambience, connectivity and entertainment onboard aircraft, and this data underscores that passengers are embracing those improvements,” said Russell Lemieux, APEX executive director. “At the same time, passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more innovations touching all aspects of the journey,” he noted.

The survey was created by APEX to be a periodic representation of changing passenger expectations as they relate to the overall passenger experience. The results are a statistically relevant snapshot of flying behaviors and preferences. Surveys were conducted during the summer, with initial findings reported at the APEX/IFSA EXPO, 15 September in Anaheim, California.

Among other findings from the passenger survey:

Thirty-eight percent of respondents listed comfortable seating as the top priority for improvements

Women are 30 percent more likely than men to pay to check extra bags, even if overhead luggage space is no concern

Sixty-two percent of passengers bought food prior to boarding, even if 70 percent are satisfied with inflight food

Being on time is the biggest concern for passengers on the ground prior to the flight, followed by seat selection and legroom

Passengers under 34 are the most active in social connectivity, but travelers between 35 and 54 also are highly active online – with 43 percent who said they engaged in in-flight social connectivity at least once in a three-month span of flying

Full results are available to APEX members, with key insights available to the industry at-large. For additional information contact Chris Peterson, APEX communications specialist, at cpeterson@kellencompany.com.

About APEX

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) encompasses a network of businesses and professionals that are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for passengers around the globe. Every day, APEX members evaluate the passenger experience through an influential community and are improving every aspect of the airline experience: from designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges and inflight dining. APEX works to strengthen the industry and enable business opportunities through education, innovation, networking and recognition.

About The Q2 2014 Survey

The Airline Passenger Experience Association surveyed nationally representative samples of people, ages 18 and older, who have traveled by airline at least once during a three-month period. There were 1,647 total respondents living in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia or Brazil. Respondent samples for each country were balanced for age and gender to be representative of the respective countries’ adult populations. The margin of sampling error for results based on the complete set of data is ±1 percentage point.